Scott Holt - Earl #1 - Lead Vocals and Lead Guitar

About SCOTT HOLT!

The American South has an incredibly rich musical legacy. Maybe it’s the air or the soilbut whatever it is, the South has been witness to the birth of Jazz, Rock, Country andThe Blues. Singer/Guitarist Scott Holt has been a bearer of the Blues torch for hisentire career. Born and raised primarily in Tennessee, he and his family also madehomes in Texas and Mississippi. The lanky, tattooed Tennessean was “touring before Iknew it was called touring! My family moved a lot when I was little so I’ve lived all overthe place.” After beginning his musical journey at 19 years old, Holt jumped on thefast-track by joining his friend and mentor Buddy Guy and playing guitar for 10 yearsduring the most successful period of the Blues legend’s career.In addition to his tenure with Buddy Guy and playing on the GRAMMY winning recordSlippin’ In, Holt’s 7 solo records’ have established him not only as a six-string virtuosobut also as a penetrating and soulful storyteller. Holt calls it “creating a soulfulcommunion; getting to a place where the sound that my band and I make are like anembrace; warm, human and uncorrupted by technology.” Through the countless hoursand miles on the road, criss-crossing the US and Canada, Scott has developed areputation as one of the most exciting live acts in the world.Scott’s motto, inscribed on the t-shirts, websites, guitar picks and liner notes to hisCD’s is; LOUD IS GOOD. Scott explains his philosophy this way; “When I talk aboutloud is good, I’m not necessarily saying that you should turn everything up – it’s notnecessarily high volume. It’s about more of a ‘spiritual loudness’ or ‘intenseness’something that is felt as well as heard. Not something to be shrill or hurt someonesears but something they can feel inside!”The spirituality of music is an important aspect of who Scott is as an artist. “So oftenmusic is treated as something that’s disposable, or as a tool to sell jeans, beer orcoffee. Music is more than that. Music is one of God’s great gifts to us. It’s a uniquelanguage that transcends borders and barriers. It transcends cultures and customs andallows us too communicate with each other at the level of our hearts instead of ourminds. My goal, as an artist, is not only to entertain but to enlighten and inspire.Holt caught rock ‘n’ roll fever when he was boy and his parents took him to his firstconcert: Elvis Presley. Today, in addition to his own flaming guitar logo and his wife anddaughter’s names, Presley’s trademark “TCB” with lightning bolt logo, which stands for“Taking Care Of Business In A Flash”, is tattooed on his left arm – a symbol of Holt’sfandom and work ethic. He also wears a tattoo of his single biggest musical influence,Jimi Hendrix, on his shoulder. “I discovered Jimi’s music in my late teens and from thatmoment on there was no question about what my path was to be.” he recalls. “Ibegged my parents for a guitar and they gave me one for Christmas.” His firstinstrument was an inexpensive electric, but with the help of a Hendrix savvy instructorHolt was on his way, developing the rudiments of his style. In much of Scott’s work,you can hear echoes of Hendrix’s stinging vibrato and wah-soaked stringing boomingthrough “Wicked Grip,” a dark-edged unadulterated rocker, and within the shimmingchordal architecture of the “The Fool”, both songs from Scott’s most recent recordingScott Holt Bio - 11/27/13KUDZU. Scott even had the opportunity to record with Hendrix’s last band, Billy Coxand Mitch Mitchell on his second record, Dark Of The Night. “That record was ahighlight for me!” Eddie Kramer (former Hendrix engineer) produced the disc and iteven features Scott, Mitch and Billy doing a version of Voodoo Chile (Slight Return).“After we recorded it I asked Mitch when he last played that song and he said ’30 yearsago’ with Jimi! I’ll always be proud of that.”Holt made his first step toward musical apprenticeship when his father took him toChicago to hear bluesmen Buddy Guy and Junior Wells. “I’d never been in a clubbefore or heard anything like Buddy Guy and Junior Wells,” Holt recounts. After abackstage meeting, the young student and venerable master stayed in touch. Over thenext year or so Holt was invited on stage to jam with Guy, including the first night hisnew club Legends opened to the public in Chicago during the Bluesfest weekend andthen one day Guy called to invite Holt into his band. “I’d never even been in a bandbefore,” Holt says. “After seeing Buddy that first time, I went back home to Tennesseeand tried to get a band together, but it never really worked out. So all of a sudden,there I am at 19, leaving home for Chicago with my guitar, my amp, a suitcase and mypassport. I had no idea of when or even if I was ever coming back home.”Holt was at Guy’s side for a decade. “I wanted to be a guitar player so bad. I didn’twant to risk losing my gig by being from out of town and having to ask Buddy for aplace to stay, although he would have gladly given me one, but before I started makinga little money, I would sometimes sleep on the pool table at Legends. I always thoughtwith all the “ghost-notes” floating around in there from Junior Wells, Otis Rush, LonnieBrooks and of course from Buddy, that maybe I would soak it up in my sleep! I learnedso much from Buddy. He never seemed to get tired of my questions, and I asked a lot!He is one my heroes and one of my dearest friends, all at the same time. To this day,what he can do never ceases to amaze me.” And Guy remains an enthusiasticsupporter of Holt. “He’s an automatic. He’s good! Every time I hear him (Scott) I hearsome improvement he’s made…”There is no question Holt has diversified his pure talent over the course of 7 recordsand countless miles on the road. While blues remains at the core of his being, he isconstantly evolving and exploring as an artist. His music is a testament to thisevolution as both a man and an artist. He reflects, “I am a bluesman through andthrough. It’s just who I am when recording or performing. It has been an affirmationover the years as I play my music for audiences and have them receive it and embraceit as enthusiastically as the music of the Masters that we play. If you listen,” Holtcontinues, “you’ll always hear the blues in the foundation of my playing, but mymentors and guides, the greatest bluesmen, like Buddy, B.B. King, Muddy Waters andHowlin’ Wolf, were always changing, experimenting and evolving. I’ve tried to maintainthat philosophy and attitude towards my own music, just create the music and letpeople call it what they want.”